Loss

Lance was stubborn, despite the injuries of his comrades he still decided that they were fit enough to keep going. The stone-skinned monkeys were bad enough but this time around on the morning of the next day, their small group would be surrounded by wolves.

The militia with an injured arm was the first to fall, there was nothing he could do. The others were fending for themselves. 

"Raaarrghh!" The snarl of the hound forced Lance to move back, the Berserker and the enchanter were still standing but they were far too weak and injured to continue. 

"Noooo!!" The spearman's shout could be heard throughout the forest as his right leg fell victim to a bite.

Red dots filled the screen that was meant to be following Lance and his party, they were too far for Isaac to send any reinforcements and he was far too late in ordering them to retreat. "Another loss."

In RTS games, Isaac could have seen what was going on with Lance's party from a bird's eye perspective but that was not how his system worked. "I should have just kept them here with me, at the first sign of a losing fight… he was meant to retreat."

Despite his orders, these units that come from his ability are still their own people. When he's not next to them correcting them and giving precise instructions, all he can actually do is guide them as to where he wants them to move. It was a lesson that Isaac had to learn the hard way. "Should I pick smarter units as leaders next time, or was it my mistake in not ordering them to go back after just half a day?"

While Isaac mourned the loss, they were also units that were meant to be expendable. "While life shouldn't be quantified this way, at the end of the day the goal is to create an army that can thrive in this environment. I learned a lesson today, one that I hope not to take again anytime soon." 

As he lost troops, despite his attempts at trying not to blame the person who forced him down this route, Isaac still remembered the smug look that Orion had when the others followed him. 

"My father always said to look inwards, for each mistake there is almost always a fault in one's self." Isaac wasn't a shut-in, he was a functioning member of society. The bullying he has experienced is from coworkers in the corporate world. 

"It was my own bad decision making, I could've achieved similar results by just sending out one expendable murlok. Sending a group was more than what was necessary, I lost troops for no good reason today." 

The ground began to shake.

 "An Earthquake, stay away from the buildings!" He called out as the water spirit and Noctis formed a defensive formation around him. 

Birds flew out from trees, cries could be heard in the forest. The earthquake lasted for a total of 10 minutes, causung a few of the trees to fall. Luckily for Isaac, his buildings were left unharmed. 

"Of course, there's natural disasters too. This is real life, despite how the system paints it to be."

A bad omen, one that would be realized just a few hours later.

—

Katak didn't know what to make of the scene in front of him. A sea of monsters, insect-like creatures with a thirst for biomass. Destroying everything in their wake. 

He tried to run, they all did.

But the swarm was far too numerous. 

"May the gods bless our lord. Please survive this threat my liege!" 

Jitaxans, born from an experiment gone awry. 150 years ago, a hero from Terra used genetic code from both monsters and aliens and thought that he could create a solution to the demon problem in the Root Realm. 

This hero was named Jitax, a famous geneticist and scientist back in Terra. He pioneered the invention of multiple tools used in veterinary clinics. His experiments worked for the most part, evidenced by the mounts and powerful flesh golems that served the Dragon Alliance. 

Due to the nature of his experiments, the demons caught wind of it and did their best to sabotage him at every turn. The Jitaxans were born due to a traitor, one that was corrupted by demonic forces. 

With the hunger of an animal that can never be satiated, the ability to produce clones and a body that consists of the best traits that giant insects can have. With none of the traits that were supposed to balance them out.

But what Isaac was aware of was simply the sea of red dots that were rapidly approaching his base. His scouting party was gone in seconds and with no plans for such a threat, Isaac and his remaining troops could only rush towards the opposite direction and hope for the best. 

With the ability to store his units in his system and ride on the back of Noctis, Isaac would traverse through the same path that Orion's party already cleared. The monsters in this region had fresh knowledge on humans and are more than willing to back off against those that appear similar. 

'Look inwards…my ass! That's a whole army, Isaac! There's nowhere to look but outside! From my assumptions there's either a lake or some kind of clearing. With water the Murloks can take me, I need to think!' The only location to look at was north.

"That piece of metal… I see! Of course, Orion and his group need to contact our predecessors! What better way to do it than to make something similar to a signal tower!!" If they were still there then he could have the reinforcements he needed, one way or another. 

He knew that whatever the coming threat was, could become manageable in the face of the Supes and the spells that Vanitha commanded. "I can suck up my already non-existent pride just this once! A dead man can not dream of tomorrow!"

In a do or die scenario, Isaac bit the inside of his right cheek to calm himself down. "But What if they're not there, what can I do? All on my own."

Isaac couldn't check out the possibility that they weren't there. But that same evening all he could do was hope for the best.

[Your building has been destroyed.]

[Your building has been destroyed.]

[Your building has been destroyed.]

"Wrong place at the wrong time, This challenge that the gods have presented me are far too extreme. Throwing all of this at the weakest among us, I must be fated to die." The chorus of ding sounds as the notifications piled kept him awake as Noctis sprinted through the forest. 

With only the unfinished signal tower on the horizon, Isaac was at least looking forward to seeing Grandpa Tony again.